The other day I got this thing in the mail from my college. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a tax exemption slip that I should use when filling out my 1040 this year. When reading it, it said I was going to write off $874 for the tuition paid last year. After looking up some information online last night, I discovered that college students can write off expenses like this on there taxes, so suffice to say I got home today and began going through my bank statements and pulling up any and all information showing my books. I get an estimated $1300 written off my taxes this year.

Then I realized something. I should have been receiving these statements for the past 3 years, since I started college, however, for the most peculiar reason I discovered why I haven't.

Correction Problem, you've probably figured it out by now, along with about everyone else here on Massassi.

Apparently my mom has been taking these exemption slips from me and writing them off her taxes. Last year I got back $156, when my mom got back over $2000. I assumed it was just her own exemptions and tax breaks. Well, there seems to be a reason why my mom has been so quick to give me her Discover Card and have me use it to pay for my tuition, then I write her a check. Apparently she was using the exemption, and credit statements to say she was paying for my college and used them. I've estimated at a minimum of $2400 just for tuition alone. If I got $874 last year, when I didn't attend summer school and took only 22 hours, I can't even begin to fathom the previous year when I took 40 hours all year.

Well this part year I had been writing checks to pay for my books. When I found this exemption the other day, I got home today and pulled up my records. I will get to write off about $1300 ($1299.30) for college expense. Then I get whatever I get back already (gonna guess another $200 since Bush has been raping me these past few years). So I might get over a $1500 tax return.

If you've been paying your tuition you should sue her for fraud and move out. You don't owe her anything, and if she cries, she's just trying to get back at you and make you feel bad.

If she' claiming you as a dependant, you're **** out of luck.

Your mom sucks.

hehehe... you juxtaposed 'mom' and 'sucks'.

*Connection

As usual, I'd recommend legal counsel. I hope the day when you seperate from the monster that you spawned from draws near.

If I file mine before she files hers, how can she claim me?

And sorry, I was typing so fast I didn't realize I typed Correction instead of Connection. :p

she can legally claim you as a dependant if you're a student and she provides more than half of your support (eg. she lets you live at her house and feeds you, or she pays your rent)

But only if she files her taxes first.

That sucks man. Definately seek legal counsel and see what you can do about it.

In other news, I got my W2 (sent to my house, then my parents sent it to my school), and it turns out I had a whole $1.07 withheld (not counting Medicare and FICA) from earnings totaling $3856.73. I don't mind the tax system so much.

I suggest using a big flat rock.

I'm not good with all that stuff.

But I know my parents pay for my school and books, and dorm.

And I have 5k saved up in the bank from workings :P.

Anything she pays for is because she claims me. It's a neverending paradox. By her claiming me, my income goes from $12,000 to over $100,000. Why? Because when I file for financial aid and other grants and what not, they look at my income and can't tell the difference between $12,000 and $100,000+. They then pretty much tell me I make too much money and deny me. Thus, I am stuck paying my tuition, books, car payments, insurance, food, whatever else I get stuck with. All she directly covers for me is a house, electric, phone and water. I buy my clothes, 95% of my food, my car, insurance, books and tuition, etc.



I got my W2 today. Neither of my parents have received there's yet. I already called my brother, who is an accountant (not a CPA though) and asked him to help me with it.

Ha ha ha! I can't believe I misread that.

I don't want to know what you misread that as...

It has nothing to do with who files first. Thrawn will have to answer the question on his tax return "Can someone else claim you as a dependant on their income tax return?". If she can, she can. No matter who files first.

edit - although that's really only going to affect your standard deduction. You being her dependant certainly doesn't stop you from claiming your own education expenses. And I'm not really sure how she could legally claim them before if you're the one that paid them.

Because all records said it was on her Discover card.

Since Accounting's my major!

The IRS can audit individuals for up to 3 years after the filing date. If she filed before April 15, 20xx then they still have to April 15th of 3 years later.

So really, you could really contact the IRS and talk to them and you could possibly get them to audit her for any returns filed for and after the April 15, 2002 tax season.

Thus, there is a chance you can get her back.

But that'll probably really hurt your family relationship, and she could take away all support.

And remember:

There are 5 claims someone has to meet to make the dependency exemption.

1) Support test - 50% has to be provided by the taxpayer. Support includes stuff like food, clothing, medical, shelter, education, etc. NOTE: Scholarship's do not count into the equation for the support test. This means that any scholarships or stuff you got for school cannot be used in your stating that she did not provide over 50%. Just a note...
2) Relationship or Member of household - You pass
3) Gross Income - Your income must be less then $3,100. If it's more, she can't claim you. UNLESS: you are a full time student or under the age of 19. The Full time student exception goes until you're 24. Thus, no matter how much you make cannot hurt the parent in her/his ability to claim you.
4) - Join return - I don't think you're married.
5) Citizenship test - you pass!


And for everyone else: You cannot claim what you did not pay! Thus you cannot claim tution as a deduction if your parents paid.

At the bottom it reads something about how I filled it out to the best of my advantage. Being a legal adult 21 and over, couldn't I say no one can claim me as a dependent and get through since I am 21 and don't "know" for certain?

I don't know...she could still argue that you fall under the 50% of support. The support's the hardest one to prove either way...you must have documents and stuff to prove it.

There's a ton of factors coming into play here...

There's also a red flag indicator. If she checks that you're a dependent of her, and you try claiming that you're not a dependent and try to get a personal exemption - the IRS will be like "Wait a second"

In the past they would send letters to both parties about the problem (Since you can't get a personal exemption if you're a dependent) and have you resolve it. Now they usually send a letter to both saying that neither of you will get the deduction unless you file a new return that fixes it. The IRS is more in a stance of "We don't care if you didn't know or weren't sure" now...

Well I just got a call from my brother and he's gonna help me with it. In all honesty, my mom only gets like $200 written off on me, if even that. I'll just give her the $200 to shut her stupid mouth so I can get my $1300 in exemptions (plus however I get back under the normal filing).

Well, once you turn 23, you'll be ok.

That wont be until 2006.

Somethng to look forward to then, I guess.

You will not receive $1300+.

You can possibly take a Lifetime Learning Credit, which will refund you 20% of the amount listed on your 1098T. You will receive $0 for your books or other expenses.

You might not even be eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit since you're a dependent, in which case your mother might be able to claim it.

You can be refunded for school expenses up to $4000. Books are a school expense.

For the first year and a half of college, my mother was having me use her Discover card to buy my books. Same rules applied, pay her back. I kept the receipt in case I needed to return any books. She would call Discover at the end of the year and get a duplicate copy for those books and write them off.

No, you can deduct up to $4000 of qualifying educational expenses in certain circumstances. A deduction is not a refund.

You can be refunded for up to $1500 of the expenses listed on the 1098T for the first two years of college by using the Hope Credit. After that, you can be refunded 20% of those costs by the Lifetime Learning Credit.

It makes sense too...

Otherwise, why the hell would there be so many poor college students?

I'll figure it all out Saturday.

Besides how do you define the first 2 years of college? By hours? By actual time? What if you start in 2001, then don't return until 2004? I found some information from the IRS website, I'll look over it with my bro.

I thought you couldn't be claimed as a dependant if you were over 21. Or something like that. At least in Illinois. I know my mom got some kind of tax-related thing until I turned 21 unless I wasn't enrolled full-time. Maybe this is something completely different. :-\

do you live at home?

clarification - home with your mom

Something to remember is that a tax credit is not a deduction. Being that I only do taxes once a year I'm not entirely certain but I seem to recall that similar to the Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit there is an education tax credit. These are different than deductions because they are actual credits from the government that can reduce the tax you owe and even actually pay money to people that paid no taxes. In a way it's almost a form of welfare since low income people can actually end up getting back all of the Federal Income Tax witheld and still receive multi-thousand dollar returns from the government because of these credits.

Long story short, the tax credit does not equal the deduction some people are confusing it as.

Wow...at first I thought your story could just be all biased, but I no longer think that. You have my deepest sympathies, and this makes me feel good about my own mother, from whom I've received semi-serious death threats.

Just to be clear, there are two educational tax credits as well as an educational deduction. The deduction is above-the-line, so in some cases it's a better deal than the Lifetime Learning Credit.